Archived trip from old website run by mikak
Would you like a day of back country snow adventure that doesn’t involve having to learn to ski? Then this short 5km return classic snowshoe trip is for you. Starting from Dead Horse Gap (1582m) the route climbs 470m through snow gum forest onto the Rams Head Range (+2050m). The objective is the ice and snow bound rocky crag of South Rams Head for a taste of winter alpine adventure and (weather dependent) magnificent views of Mt Kosciuszko, the Main Range and the Thredbo Valley. Snowshoes are a fun and easy alternative for background country snow exploration, especially if you find maintaining you balance on skis too much of a challenge. This tried and tested route (which I’ve snowshoed over a dozen times) is sheltered, short and varied, and hence ideal for snowshoe beginners and even complete novices who have never seen snow. Not so if you attempt the route on skis. Richard is leading a skiing trip to the same area on Saturday and has appropriately rated it as an intermediate trip due to the challenge of skiing on wooded slopes. Map: 1:25,000 Thredbo Ski Touring.
The route from the Dead Horse Gap car park (1582m) to the trig point at South Rams Head Peak (2052m) is a straight forward ascent in four distinct parts. The first is a steady climb through snow gum forest with an ascent of about 180m over 700m and ends near a cluster of boulders. The second part is a level or gently rising passage of about 400m through an area of flat and mostly open ground with some scattered snow gums (~1760m). In clear conditions the trig point can clearly been seen from this area which is bound on the east (right) by a tributary of Bogong Creek. The third part is an ascent through larger snow gums over a distance of about 300m to the edge of the tree-line at about 1900m. The final climb to the trig point is across exposed ground, passing a band of boulder clusters on the left, and gaining about 160m over a distance of about 500m. The trig point is located atop a large cluster of boulders which is best approached from the east. From atop the trig point or the crest of the ridge, there is a direct view across the headwaters of Leatherbarrel Creek to Mt Kosciuszko, 6km away directly to magnetic north.
Would you like a day of back country snow adventure that doesn’t involve having to learn to ski? Then this short 5km return classic snowshoe trip is for you. Starting from Dead Horse Gap (1582m) the route climbs 470m through snow gum forest onto the Rams Head Range (+2050m). The objective is the ice and snow bound rocky crag of South Rams Head for a taste of winter alpine adventure and (weather dependent) magnificent views of Mt Kosciuszko, the Main Range and the Thredbo Valley. Snowshoes are a fun and easy alternative for background country snow exploration, especially if you find maintaining you balance on skis too much of a challenge. This tried and tested route (which I’ve snowshoed over a dozen times) is sheltered, short and varied, and hence ideal for snowshoe beginners and even complete novices who have never seen snow. Not so if you attempt the route on skis. Richard is leading a skiing trip to the same area on Saturday and has appropriately rated it as an intermediate trip due to the challenge of skiing on wooded slopes. Map: 1:25,000 Thredbo Ski Touring.
The route from the Dead Horse Gap car park (1582m) to the trig point at South Rams Head Peak (2052m) is a straight forward ascent in four distinct parts. The first is a steady climb through snow gum forest with an ascent of about 180m over 700m and ends near a cluster of boulders. The second part is a level or gently rising passage of about 400m through an area of flat and mostly open ground with some scattered snow gums (~1760m). In clear conditions the trig point can clearly been seen from this area which is bound on the east (right) by a tributary of Bogong Creek. The third part is an ascent through larger snow gums over a distance of about 300m to the edge of the tree-line at about 1900m. The final climb to the trig point is across exposed ground, passing a band of boulder clusters on the left, and gaining about 160m over a distance of about 500m. The trig point is located atop a large cluster of boulders which is best approached from the east. From atop the trig point or the crest of the ridge, there is a direct view across the headwaters of Leatherbarrel Creek to Mt Kosciuszko, 6km away directly to magnetic north.
Trip category
Bushwalking
Date and Time
Estimated Costs
None